chinese food

[NewCreation435]

There is a Chinese restaurant down the street from where I live. I was thinking about trying some of their food, but have never eaten chinese food before and not sure what would be good. What kind of chinese food do you like?
Mainly right now they are just doing take out

 

[Lamb]

There is a Chinese restaurant down the street from where I live. I was thinking about trying some of their food, but have never eaten chinese food before and not sure what would be good. What kind of chinese food do you like?
Mainly right now they are just doing take out

Do you like spicy or mild? That's important. I like spicy but sometimes my tongue doesn't want that and sometimes if I order mild it's too bland at some of the Chinese places. We like to eat Sesame Chicken and it usually comes with white rice if you're ordering from a place. I get mine at a grocery store that has a Chinese takeout place inside and they put it in containers to sell the next day before they close for the day so I grab those....so no rice unless I buy it separately and we usually get fried rice instead of white.

 

[tango]

I like food spicy enough that at least some people find it physically painful to eat it. That said when I eat Chinese (rare these days) I don't seek out the fieriest offerings they have.

It's hard to know what to suggest since so many places offer very different things, usually adapted to please the local palate. Some places are little more than mix-n-match where you choose whether you want a base of noodles, rice or similar, then choose whether you want pork, beef, chicken, shrimp etc. Some places are more authentic, where you could have spent a lifetime eating "Chinese takeaway" and still not recognise any of the items on the menu.

If you want to explore new options I'd suggest looking for something that's broadly similar to things you know you like and expand from there. Unless you really want to be bold, in which case opt for something totally new knowing you might find it inedible and see what happens.

 

[Josiah]

There is a Chinese restaurant down the street from where I live. I was thinking about trying some of their food, but have never eaten chinese food before and not sure what would be good. What kind of chinese food do you like?
Mainly right now they are just doing take out

In grad school and when I worked in science, I know MANY Chinese people. Some studying here and some working here. And here's what they conveyed to me.....

+ What we call "Chinese Food" rarely is. It MAY be "inspired" by some Chinese dish but.... OCCASIONALLY something on the menu reminds them of something they might be served in China but that's about as close as it gets. Indeed, much of what is served in Chinese restaurants is California food - invented and promoted in California. Also, Hong Kong is the source of some of what we think of, too.... food designed for the English.

+ There is no such thing as "Chinese food." While a few things (like rice) are consumed by MOST (but not all) Chinese, it depends on WHERE you are. Foods vary a LOT from location to location. There ARE some Chinese restaurants that clearly identify with a specific area and those are the ones more likely to be a bit authentic.

Biggest clue: Sugar. "Chinese food" in the US especially is LOADED with sugar. In China, almost nothing has any sugar in it at all. Most can't afford it and most Chinese don't like sweets. But Chinese cooks in the USA learned that Americans LOVE sugar. If the dish is sweet, it ain't Chinese.


All that said, I like this type of California food! The sweet stuff, too! Oh, and those fortune cookies (which are actually Japanese, but the "fortune" part is pure California).




.

 

[tango]

Sometimes it seems difficult to find anything in the US that isn't loaded with sugar.

Even when I order unsweetened tea in a diner usually the first thing I'm asked is if I want sweeteners with it. Er, no. If I wanted sweet tea I'd have ordered sweet tea.

 

[JRT]

A lot of Chinese restaurants will have a "meal for 1 or 2 or 4" that come with a variety of dishes. That might be a good way to sample a variety. For your first meal do not ask for spicy! It might take a week for your mouth to cool off.

 

[tango]

A lot of Chinese restaurants will have a "meal for 1 or 2 or 4" that come with a variety of dishes. That might be a good way to sample a variety. For your first meal do not ask for spicy! It might take a week for your mouth to cool off.

Either that or, if you like spicy food in general, maybe ask for a taste of their spicy sauce to find out how spicy it is.

I've personally found hot and sour soup from Chinese restaurants to be disappointing - to my taste it's not particular hot nor is it particularly sour. Hot and sour soup from a good Thai restaurant is another matter. I still remember the time some soup caught in my throat because of being hot (temperature wise), which cause the heat (spice wise) to burn and make me cough and my eyes water. The waiter came to see if I was OK, and seemed surprised when I cleared my throat and said the soup was exactly what I wanted. I guess he was expecting me to be the English guy who wanted to order the fiery dish only to find himself unable to cope with the heat.

 

[JRT]

Also keep in mind that most items on the menu are not actually authentic Chinese cuisine.

 

[NewCreation435]

Do you like spicy or mild? That's important. I like spicy but sometimes my tongue doesn't want that and sometimes if I order mild it's too bland at some of the Chinese places. We like to eat Sesame Chicken and it usually comes with white rice if you're ordering from a place. I get mine at a grocery store that has a Chinese takeout place inside and they put it in containers to sell the next day before they close for the day so I grab those....so no rice unless I buy it separately and we usually get fried rice instead of white.

I don't generally eat a lot of rice due to it having a lot of carbs. I would be okay with spicy if it isn't too bad or too hot and end up burning my mouth

 

[Lamb]

I don't generally eat a lot of rice due to it having a lot of carbs. I would be okay with spicy if it isn't too bad or too hot and end up burning my mouth

You can ask them when ordering to reduce the amount of spice.

 

[NewCreation435]

I tried the Mongolian beef today. I thought it was pretty good. The beef was mixed with onion and there was a side of yellow rice. I have to go easy on the rice since it has a lot of carbs. I tried to upload a picture, but it said the file is too large.

 

[Lamb]

I tried the Mongolian beef today. I thought it was pretty good. The beef was mixed with onion and there was a side of yellow rice. I have to go easy on the rice since it has a lot of carbs. I tried to upload a picture, but it said the file is too large.

Glad you liked it! Did you get a fortune cookie with the meal?

 

[NewCreation435]

Glad you liked it! Did you get a fortune cookie with the meal?

no, I didn't.

 

[Lamb]

no, I didn't.

Aw, I hate it that a lot of places stopped providing them and you have to buy them now. My husband would read the fortune and then give me his cookie.

 

[Romanos]

Aw, I hate it that a lot of places stopped providing them and you have to buy them now. My husband would read the fortune and then give me his cookie.

Seems like not a lot like the taste of fortune cookies.

 

[kapi88]

Please remember the evolution of 2020 pandemic first.

 

[Lamb]

Please remember the evolution of 2020 pandemic first.

We shouldn't blame all Chinese for what happened in China. The government there could have stopped it sooner and chose not to. There is no reason to not visit Chinese restaurants where I live here in the US.